Conference seeks ways to prevent emerging diseases

The Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) jointly held
a conference in Hanoi on May 12 to review the Asia-Pacific Strategy for
Emerging Diseases (APSED) and the International Health Regulations
(IHR) to draw lessons for future operations in the field.

The IHR, in effect since June 15, 2007, is a legally binding document
for all WHO member countries. The regulations aim to prevent and respond
to acute public health risks that have the potential to cross borders
and threaten the global population.

Meanwhile, the
APSED, which was launched for the first time in 2005 and amended in
2010, is a regional strategy targeting improved capacity in managing and
responding to emerging and existing diseases.

Addressing the event, Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine
Department Tran Dac Phu said after the IHR was approved the department
was assigned to coordinate in its implementation.

An
emergency operations centre (EOC) was set up to cope with dangerous
pandemics including Ebola, he noted, adding that this year the ministry
approved a plan to deal with emerging diseases and organise public
health events.

As part of efforts to realise the
APSED in preventing the transfer of diseases from animals to humans, the
ministry has assessed the general risk of bird flu H7N9, while
safeguarding against Ebola, he said.

Phu revealed
the health sector will continue coordinating with other sectors in the
“one health” direction, completing the EOC model and increasing
supervision over a number of diseases spreading from animals to people.

During the conference, participants also discussed a
number of issues, including the implementation of the IHR in Vietnam,
preparations for coping with urgent public health conditions, and the
prevention and control of bacterial contamination.-VNA